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They would often go for a drive and then a walk. On one occasion she said her hands were cold.

"He took her left hand and placed it in his trouser pocket," Mr Rose said. "She was startled at what she felt.

"She recalls seeing his exposed penis at that time. He moved her hand up and down on his penis."

The abuse escalated, with Bullard on one occasion laughing and telling her she would "learn to enjoy this."

The second victim first came into contact with Bullard in the late 80s. She remembers him asking her "Are you enjoying this?" on one occasion while the assault was happening.

The abuse ended when she was 11-years-old, but the effects on both victims last to this day.

What was said in court?

Defending, Hannah Sutton, said: "He is generally remorseful for his actions. After he was interviewed by police, he has been in attendance with the reverend of his local church where he has been in confession.

"He broke down in that confession.

"The court has to assess whether there is further harm to the public in terms of Mr Bullard reoffending.

"He is fully aware that the sentence he receives today will be a lengthy one."

Judge David Pugh said: "You have pleaded guilty to ten counts of indecent assault on two young girls and it is clear that the effect has lived with them to this day, and will no doubt be with them throughout their lives.

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"I have to consider whether there is a significant risk to the public and of further offending.

"I take into account that the offence were committed over 25 years ago and you have no previous convictions. But your offending took place over many years and on many occasions.

"You appear to minimise the seriousness of your actions and shifted some of the blame onto your victims.

"In my judgement, you pose a significant risk of causing serious harm to young girls."

Bullard was handed the ten-year prison sentence with another four on an extended licence.

He will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Matthew Bergin

Chelmsford Crown Court

A father who filmed himself viewing child abuse images for his own pleasure also distributed other indecent images to "like-minded paedophiles".

Matthew Bergin chatted online to other paedophiles where they discussed their 'desire to abuse young children as young as one-year-old'.

Bergin lost his job at Anglian Water following bosses finding out he had been arrested in connection to possessing child abuse images.

The 45-year-old has a wife and a six-year-old son at home, and claimed he was looking at porn sites when links online took him to indecent images of children.

What did police find?

Bergin's house was searched by police when they executed a warrant in November 2017.

He gave a police officer his mobile phone and said: "This is all you will need."

When the phone was searched, it had 19 category A still images and two category A movies, a selection of category B movies and photographs, as well as 77 still images in category C, in regards to their level of abuse. In one category C image, the female child was as young as 13.

Prosecuting, Samantha Lowther said: "The defendant had taken a movie of himself, in that movie, he was masturbating to a photo of a child who was six to seven years of age."

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Police then looked at Bergin's computer, where they discovered he had used it to search for indecent images of children and used a website to utilise the chat service, Kik.

He used Kik to talk to other individuals about his desires, with one transcript detailing how Bergin and another user were talking about abusing children. They were talking about hurting babies as young as one, and children up to the age of nine.

Bergin was arrested in November 2017 and when he was interviewed by police he had told them he 'accepted he had viewed the indecent images of children'.

It also came to light he had distributed a total of 30 images, including eight category A images and 22 category C images.

Bergin was called in again by police to be interviewed, on July 27, 2018, and he gave 'no comment' to all questions put to him.

What was said in court?

On Wednesday, December 12, he stood in the dock at Chelmsford Crown Court with his head down for most of the sentencing hearing whilst his lawyer, Daniel Higgins, spoke in his defence.

Mr Higgins spoke of how the defendant's wife was in court and they had a six-year-old son together. He claimed Bergin was 'devastated' by the impact and but does feel responsible for the possession of the images.

Bergin discussed abusing young children as young as one

"His wife and son are also being punished," said Mr Higgins.

"He has lost his job, he was suspended from where he works at Anglian Water, they don't work in schools and have no contact with children but he lost his job.

"He has lost his contribution to the joint mortgage he has with his wife and if unable to obtain further work soon, it is likely they will have to sell the house."

Mr Higgins then highlighted that Bergin had attended sessions with a psychotherapist and Sex Addicts Anonymous after he was arrested "off his own back", and read literature to gain a level of insight into his situation.

At this point, Bergin had still not lifted his head up in the dock and was told to stand.

Judge Patricia Lynch said: "I have these cases come in front of me time and time again, and time and time again I say the same thing. People like yourself who like to view these images seem to forget these are real children, and as far as still images are concerned, children who are abused."

She continued: "To put it into context, you yourself have a six-year-old son."

Judge Lynch then scolded him for not looking her in the eye.

What is a suspended sentence?

When a court imposes a custodial sentence of between 14 days and two years (or six months in a magistrates’ court), the court may choose to suspend the sentence for up to two years.

This means the offender does not go to prison immediately but is given the chance to stay out of trouble and to comply with up to 12 requirements set by the court.

These include:

doing unpaid work

being subject to a curfew

undertaking a treatment programme for alcohol or drugs

being subject to a rehabilitation activity requirement

If the offender does not comply with the requirements, or is convicted of another offence during the suspension period, they are likely to serve the original custodial term in addition to the sentence they get for the new offence.

"The damage for six-year-olds, who are first of all assaulted, filmed and then live with the knowledge that they have been filmed," she said.

"For individuals to get their kicks off watching it, defendants who cannot even look the courts in the eye."

Bergin then raised his head to look at the judge.

She added: "Defendants who have looked down, looking down at their feet and looking sorry for themselves.

"What about those children? Did you think about them when you were watching these images? When you distributed them and the conservations with like-minded pedophiles?"

The sentence

Bergin, 45, of Thorpe Road, Weeley, Clacton-on-Sea, was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, for one count of making indecent images of children under the age of 16 and one count of distributing indecent images of children under the age of 16.

He was also ordered to carry out 50 rehabilitation activity requirement days and to pay a victim surcharge if it applied.

He will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to run for 10 years.

Tejas Parikh

Tejas Parikh asked to meet a 15-year-old boy for sexual activity

A father-of-one asked the dating profile of a fake 15-year-old boy to meet up for sexual activity at a Harlow McDonald's.

Tejas Parikh, 37, from Welwyn, was charged with attempting to meet a child after speaking to who he thought was a 15-year-old boy in October 2017.

A member of the paedophile hunter group posed as the boy on the gay dating app Grindr.

On October 3, 2017, the profile was contacted by a profile called ‘IndianTop’, which was later confirmed to be controlled by Parikh while he was in custody.

Several conversations took place over Grinder and Whatsapp between the pair after he gave out his number.

What was said between the pair?

The court heard how the fake profile said he was still at school and was 15-years-old, to which Parikh replied: “Okay, I love young but I have to be careful of the law.”

He then made jokes that he was under age and was too young to be on Grindr.

The court heard how they had attempted to meet up before, but the defendant did not show up.

On October 13, 2017, at 1.40pm, the defendant messaged the profile to ask how he was.

The fake profile replied with: “You didn’t turn up last time,” to which he replied with: “Yeah, didn’t really know it was you, I’m free today for sure.”

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“Really?”, the profile replied.

Parikh, who has a seven-year-old child, told the profile: “Yes, what time you thinking?" and the WhatsApp chat continued in a sexual nature.

He then asked him: “Are you genuine, not a paedophile hunting ring or something?” then agreed to meet him at McDonald's in Harlow.

At 11.09am he was arrested in his car by officers at McDonald's when police were informed of the snare.

On investigation, police discovered he sent images, thought to be of himself as the man in the pictures was an Asian male in his 40s wearing glasses.

What was said in court?

Prosecuting lawyer, Cyrus Shroff, told the judge the defendant had no previous convictions but highlighted that he had a sexually explicit conversation and had items in his car in which to aid with sex.

Mitigating lawyer, Roger Shotota, said there was “no excuse for his behaviour” and that Parikh shows “extreme remorse.”

He continued: “He has voluntarily taken steps to address his behaviour, he recognises he has a problem and is trying to address it. He has lost his career, he’s lost his financial stability.”

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Sentencing Parikh, Judge Turner told him: “This is a sad and shameful day for you. You are 37, you are a university graduate, you have a bachelor’s degree, an MBE and further qualifications.

“You have lost your career, your reputation, the integrity and respect of your wife and family circle and your family have been financially affected.

“If a 15-year-old had been corrupted the sentence would be measured in years. However, I am satisfied that I can deal with you in a way which protects the public.”

The sentence

Parikh sobbed in the dock at Chelmsford Crown Court on January 26 as he was handed a two year community order, ordered to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £300.

He was also given a five-year sexual harm prevention order and will be ordered to sign the sex offenders register for five years.

Scott Williams-Clarke

He was approached by a fake profile set up by a paedophile hunting group

A man who sent images of his penis to who he thought was a 13-year-old girl has been given a community order.

Scott Williams-Clarke, 35, from Clacton, appeared at Chelmsford Crown court on January 26 after he asked a 'girl' to send him naked pictures and sent her three pictures of his penis.

He was caught in a snare when he was approached by a fake profile set up by paedophile hunting group, Internet Interceptors.

The undercover profile posed as a 13-year-old girl called Erica when it was approached by the defendant.

They discussed meeting up before he sent three images of his penis. He was confronted at his home address by the group who then phoned the police.

When arrested by police, he made full admission in his police interview and pleaded guilty to the charge on January 3, 2018.

What was said in court?

Mitigating lawyer, Kevin Toomey, said: "He does not seek to excuse his behaviour despite having depression and a brain tumour. He said: 'It is my fault, I will take whatever punishment given to me.'

"He has been filmed and that has been put online and it had come to the attention of his four children who are aged between 8-13 years old."

Mr Toomey went onto say the dad-of-four is now estranged from his children because his ex-partner saw the footage and that he has endured a lot of abuse from people since the incident.

Sentencing William-Clarke, Judge Turner said: "The only crumb of comfort in this disgraceful situation is that there is no real 13-year-old child called Erica who has had to look at three pictures of your penis.

Williams-Clarke leaving Chelmsford Crown Court

"I'm not sure what you were thinking when you got in touch with this individual, who appeared to be a child or what you thought you were doing when you sent her the pictures you did.

"I have no doubt at all that that you did this for some sort of perverted and unacceptable sexual pleasure.

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"Internet Interceptors set themselves up to catch people like you online and confronted you at your home address and footage was taken. It has been put on the Internet and this has now been put on Facebook in a group called 'Spotted in Clacton'.

"Your ex-wife and children have found out about this which has I'm sure caused disappointment and distress to them.

"I must think of the public first and you second and punish you in a constructive way."

The sentence

Judge Turner handed him a two year community order, ordered him to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work and pay £300.

He was also given a sexual harm prevention order for years and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for five years.